Plugged In

Up next for Nintendo: 3D Zelda, Wii Play sequel

Nintendo is pulling out a couple of big guns in the second quarter to boost its bottom line.

After months of hedging, the company has at last firmed up a launch date for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. The eagerly anticipated 3DS remake of the classic title -- still considered among the best of all time -- will hit store shelves on June 19.

Wii Play, like Wii Sports and several other successful titles for the system, is a collection of mini-games (12 this time) geared for casual players. However, just as with the original game, the real draw might not be those games themselves, but the included black Wii controller, which will match the color scheme unveiled in 2009.

Also en route for the Wii from Nintendo is Mystery Case Files:
Dust to Dust, due June 27, and a slew of licensed content from publishing
partners.

Ocarina of Time will come right after the annual E3
convention wraps -- and right as the traditional summer slowdown hits the
industry. That could potentially give the 3DS a boost when the competition
dries up.

It will certainly fill a hole for the system, which launched without the backing of one of the company's signature franchises - the first time a Nintendo system has done so. We'll learn later this week how that impacted the system's launch. Nintendo is expected to announce initial sales figures on Thursday.

The game will also be loaded with extras, including the Master Quest edition of the game, letting veteran players explore different, more challenging dungeons.

As for Mario's debut on the 3DS? That's still a date clouded in mystery. Expect the company to divulge more details at E3 in early June.